Poussaint T Young, Phillips P C, Vajapeyam S, Fahey F H, Robertson R L, Osganian S, Ramamurthy U, Mulkern R V, Treves S T, Boyett J M, Kun L E
Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2007 Apr;28(4):603-7.
As an essential part of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium (PBTC), the Neuroimaging Center (NIC) is dedicated to infusing the study of pediatric brain tumors with imaging "best practice" by producing a correlative research plan that 1) resonates with novel therapeutic interventions being developed by the wider PBTC, 2) ensures that every PBTC protocol incorporates an imaging "end point" among its objectives, 3) promotes the widespread implementation of standardized technical protocols for neuroimaging, and 4) facilitates a quality assurance program that complies with the highest standards for image data transfer, diagnostic image quality, and data integrity. To accomplish these specific objectives, the NIC works with the various PBTC sites (10 in all, plus NCI/ National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke representation) to ensure that the overarching mission of the consortium--to better understand tumor biology and develop new therapies for central nervous system tumors in children--is furthered by creating a uniform body of imaging techniques, technical protocols, and standards. Since the inception of the NIC in 2003, this broader mandate has been largely accomplished through a series of site visits and meetings aimed at assessing prevailing neuroimaging practices against NIC-recommended protocols, techniques, and strategies for achieving superior image quality and executing the secure transfer of data to the central PBTC. These ongoing evaluations periodically examine investigations into targeted drug therapies. In the future, the NIC will concentrate its efforts on improving image analysis for MR imaging and positron-emission tomography (PET) and on developing new ligands for PET; imaging markers for radiation therapy; and novel systemic, intrathecal, and intralesional therapeutic interventions.
作为美国国立癌症研究所（NCI）资助的儿童脑肿瘤联盟（PBTC）的重要组成部分，神经影像中心（NIC）致力于通过制定一项相关研究计划，将影像“最佳实践”融入儿童脑肿瘤研究中，该计划要做到：1）与PBTC更广泛开展的新型治疗干预措施相呼应；2）确保PBTC的每个方案在其目标中纳入一个影像“终点”；3）促进神经影像标准化技术方案的广泛实施；4）推动实施符合图像数据传输、诊断图像质量和数据完整性最高标准的质量保证计划。为实现这些具体目标，NIC与PBTC的各个站点（共10个，加上NCI/国立神经疾病和中风研究所的代表）合作，通过创建统一的影像技术、技术方案和标准体系，确保联盟的总体使命——更好地了解肿瘤生物学并为儿童中枢神经系统肿瘤开发新疗法——得以推进。自2003年NIC成立以来，这一更广泛的任务主要通过一系列实地考察和会议得以完成，这些考察和会议旨在对照NIC推荐的方案、技术和策略来评估现行的神经影像实践，以实现卓越的图像质量并将数据安全传输至PBTC中心。这些持续的评估定期审查针对靶向药物治疗的研究。未来，NIC将集中精力改进磁共振成像（MR）和正电子发射断层扫描（PET）的图像分析，开发新的PET配体；放疗的成像标记物；以及新型的全身、鞘内和瘤内治疗干预措施。
